Last week was my first performance of teaching one class of Micro Teaching. My basic competences were ‘menyetujui ajakan/undangan/tawaran’ (accepting request, invitation, and offer). Firstly, I thought that I had to teach three of them (accepting request, accepting invitation, and accepting offer). I had prepared a lesson plan to teach those three competences, but after I asked Mr. Pras, my Micro Teaching lecturer, I found that I could pick one of those three. Because Carolina – presenter who would perform before I did – had chosen ‘accepting request’ competence, I chose ‘accepting invitation’ competence.
In the lesson plan I made, I planned the students to be able to: express sentences containing ‘accepting invitation’ expression, create sentences/dialogue containing ‘accepting invitation’ expression, and practice sentences/dialogue they would make.
Issue of easiness/difficulty of the lesson was something haunted me mostly before I perform. In my opinion, my material was quite easy. What I was afraid of was if I could not teach that easy material. I found many cases like that: the material was easy, but the students could not understand because the teacher did not teach the students well.
To teach the material to the students, I used Communicative Language Teaching Method. I think that method was appropriate for speaking class. It emphasizes communication between both students-students and students-teacher. Communication is really important in speaking class. That was why I chose this method.
Before teaching, I also prepared some anticipation. I realized, before I taught, that I did not have good management time preparation. I tried, though. I tried to count the minutes I spent for every activity I planned but it didn’t really work. It didn’t until my performance time came.
My opening activity consists of game. I allocated 10 minutes for this activity. Actually I didn’t plan to have game when I wrote my first lesson plan, but because Riska and Rian suggested me to have that, I planned game too in my lesson plan.
Before discussing my lesson plan with Riska and Rian, I only planned to have question and answer activity as an introduction. My consideration was actually: time management. Thus, I was a bit doubtful whether I should have had game or not. I finally decided to have one. After the class was over, I didn’t think that (the game) was a good idea for 30 minutes class. I realized that I spent too many times on game. Unfortunately, I realized that in the middle of my teaching performance. I couldn’t run from what I have begun. I kept moving on with the game, the running time, and the nervousness.
Before I begun the game, I tried to connect the material I taught with the previous material and with what the students might have had known by asking them some questions such as: ‘What did you learn in your previous meeting?’, ‘What do you know about invitation?’, ‘What are the differences between invitation and request?’, ‘When should we use invitation?’, ‘How would you respond to invitation?’. Some of them could answer most of the questions well. It meant that they had something in their mind and I was a bit glad because it meant that I didn’t have to work very hard to make them understand the material.
Those two activities (game and questioning-answering) were the opening activity. For the main activity, I planned to explain the material first to the students. Then the students should have created sentences and dialogue containing ‘accepting invitation’ expression. They also had to practice what they would have created by expressing them.
The ‘explaining material’ activity run well, but the rest activities didn’t. It was very bad that, in the middle of my performance, I forgot when I exactly begun my teaching. Because of that, I didn’t really pay attention to the time I spent for each activity I planned. What I had in mind if the worst happened was: when the last 5 minutes came and I haven’t done the student-student communication (ask them to create sentences with the partner and practice them), I should not have asked them to do the last main activity (create dialogue with partner and practice them). I don’t think that was a good anticipation, though. Just like what Mr. Pras wrote to my comment paper, 5 minutes wasn’t enough for student-student activity and closing activity. I felt that I hurried in the last 5 minutes of my teaching. It was especially because the activities I planned (that were left) had not done yet.
Even though I hurried when I did the set closure, I think I had asked what I should have asked the students. Most of them could answer my questions well. I was glad to know that, even though I hurried, the set closure could be done and it showed a good result.
To control and assess the students and to make sure that all of the students understood and was able to express ‘accepting invitation’(even though they have different ability), I did some strategies. They were: had them group discussion, asked their difficulties in creating the sentences, and asked them to practice the sentences they made. By presenting the sentences they made, I could find out the level of their understanding. If they didn’t say something with good pronunciation or grammar, I could tell them the mistakes they might have made.
Overall, I think what run well in my class was that the assessment showed that the students understand the material. What didn’t run well was the student-student activity. Because there was something didn’t run well, if I had chance to teach the same or similar material again, I would like to each again, with different teaching strategy. If there is a follow up for the lesson, what needs to be done in the follow up is the student-student activity (especially creating dialogue and practicing them).
Rabu, 13 April 2011
Senin, 28 Maret 2011
Reflection 5 & 6
Last week was the first class teaching performance. Actually, on Tuesday, we still had half class teaching performance but I choose not to talk about that since the critics for the performers on Tuesday were more or less the same with the previous performers.
Thus, I would talk about the Thursday performance now. The atmosphere of the class teaching performance was slightly different with half class teaching performance. I felt more focused and more involved in the class teaching performance. The two first performers in the first class teaching performance were Gilang and Siwi. From both of them, I learnt many things last week.
From Gilang performance, I learnt how important the clarity of instruction is. In my opinion, Gilang performed a good way to give instruction to students. Even though a teacher masters the material, the students would difficultly absorb the material if the instruction is not clear.
Nevertheless, material mastery is something not less important than instruction mastery. In my opinion, Gilang also had good material mastery. However, his material was a bit difficult for Senior High School students. It caused him explaining small things and took most of his time to explain them. The standard competence was only given less time in the end of his class. This made him get nervous in the end of the class. He spoke faster in the end of the class when he needed to explain the generic structure of the procedure text. He spoke faster when he needed to explain the most important material.
From Siwi’s performance I learnt how important confidence is. Siwi had a good way of teaching. Generally, I think I understood the material because of her explanation. However, she was not confident sometimes. It affected her body movement. ‘She stood on one point only’ was one of the example.
Actually, generally, Siwi had good questioning skills but there were some moments when the students were not involved in the class when Siwi explained something by questioning. However Siwi has an appropriate closing. She could conclude the material well and involve the students on that.
Generally, Siwi and Gilang had good ‘answering skills’. Instead answering directly what the students ask, they prefer to guide the students to the answer they needed.
Thus, I would talk about the Thursday performance now. The atmosphere of the class teaching performance was slightly different with half class teaching performance. I felt more focused and more involved in the class teaching performance. The two first performers in the first class teaching performance were Gilang and Siwi. From both of them, I learnt many things last week.
From Gilang performance, I learnt how important the clarity of instruction is. In my opinion, Gilang performed a good way to give instruction to students. Even though a teacher masters the material, the students would difficultly absorb the material if the instruction is not clear.
Nevertheless, material mastery is something not less important than instruction mastery. In my opinion, Gilang also had good material mastery. However, his material was a bit difficult for Senior High School students. It caused him explaining small things and took most of his time to explain them. The standard competence was only given less time in the end of his class. This made him get nervous in the end of the class. He spoke faster in the end of the class when he needed to explain the generic structure of the procedure text. He spoke faster when he needed to explain the most important material.
From Siwi’s performance I learnt how important confidence is. Siwi had a good way of teaching. Generally, I think I understood the material because of her explanation. However, she was not confident sometimes. It affected her body movement. ‘She stood on one point only’ was one of the example.
Actually, generally, Siwi had good questioning skills but there were some moments when the students were not involved in the class when Siwi explained something by questioning. However Siwi has an appropriate closing. She could conclude the material well and involve the students on that.
Generally, Siwi and Gilang had good ‘answering skills’. Instead answering directly what the students ask, they prefer to guide the students to the answer they needed.
Senin, 21 Maret 2011
Reflection 4
Generally, this third reflection consists of technical matters related to teaching. From Deta’s performance, I learned to be careful with ‘reading aloud’ instruction in reading comprehension class. It is because basically the point of reading comprehension is different with reading aloud. Generally, it is important to know the meaning we want to convince to students from our instruction.
From Tia’s performance, I learned that: instead directly explained the material to the students, it was important to guide the students to the material by asking the students guiding questions.
Overall, from all of my friends’ performance, I learned that creativity (using media, giving appropriate guiding questions) was important in teaching process.
From Tia’s performance, I learned that: instead directly explained the material to the students, it was important to guide the students to the material by asking the students guiding questions.
Overall, from all of my friends’ performance, I learned that creativity (using media, giving appropriate guiding questions) was important in teaching process.
Senin, 14 Maret 2011
What Is the Most Interesting Thing You Saw On Your Way to Class? (Reflection 3)
On Thursday last week, we have begun teaching the half class. I got the third turn. That was my first performance in front of big numbers of people in Micro Teaching Class. I felt nervous that day even though I ever taught bigger class before. I am not really sure why. Probably it was caused by the setting of the room which was too formal. Probably it was because I had to teach people who had learned teaching method for months thus those people I taught might be sensitive of the mistakes I made. Probably it was however the first time I had to teach a class in English.
I admit that I only set one day of preparation (two times simulation) for my performance. It was usually enough for public speaking class. But I don’t think it’s enough for the first teaching performance in Micro Teaching Class. In the beginning of my performance, even though I remembered the steps of my teaching, I suddenly forgot the grammar of the sentences I had to say. I turned to speak very fast because of that.
The worst thing happened when I gave my ‘students’ introduction questions. None of them got what I meant. In order to guide the students to the material (describing things), I asked them ‘the most interesting thing they saw on their way to the class’. After the class, I realized that that question I gave them was not interesting (although there is ‘interesting’ word in my question) and difficult. It was difficult because people rarely observe around when they walk or drive. It is thus logical if someone finds it difficult to tell you the most interesting thing they saw on their way. In other words, it is logical if my ‘students’ couldn’t answer my question. Fortunately I had other introduction question.
I agree with Bayu’s comment about my-not-good-management of time. Actually not all of my material had been conveyed. Not all of activities I planned had been done. I also had no time to explain the mistakes in error sentence made by one of my ‘students’.
In my opinion, my material was not really difficult for the second semester students. Honestly, the material I taught was the material given by my lecturer in the second semester. It was probably my method which was not appropriate.
I joined this Micro Teaching Class because (of course) this is the material recommended in sixth semester. So far, in my opinion, I need to join this Micro Teaching Class because this class is important as a training place before I jump to the education world.
I know that I want ‘this’ (to be a teacher). But I also want to learn other areas before or in the process of becoming an educator. I had big crush on journalism, music, and literature and I wish I could combine my interests in my process of becoming an educator so that I could give something useful and meaningful for my students later.
Senin, 28 Februari 2011
Of Teaching (Reflection 1&2)
Reflection of My Two First Classes of Micro Teaching
In previous semester, I learned many methods of teaching. Honestly, sometimes I felt bored. It indeed was not interesting to learn methods without practicing them. In my first two classes, I learned how to teach. Teaching is not easy. However, in my opinion, educating is something harder and more important than just teaching. I myself think that my teaching is not great yet. It means that I still need to practice a lot in order to be an educator.
In our second meeting (when we were asked to each our partner), I think that I was not really prepared. I only prepared the material, not the lesson plan. I found difficulties when I had to teach my partner. Fortunately, she could understand my material. My material was for second semester student of college. Probably my partner could understand my material because she is in the same semester as I am. I doubt that the second semester students could understand me if I taught like last week. In conclusion, I learned that it was important to prepare not only the material to teach, but also the lesson plan.
Every time I teach English, (not only to my partner last week but to anyone), I am always skeptical that my student cannot understand my material, especially if I always speak English during my teaching. I have this doubt because I see that many students (especially Elementary School, Junior High School, and Senior High School Students) in Indonesia do not speak English or are not close to English. Contrary to this situation, PBI teaches me to speak English every time I teach. Why is PBI so sure that speaking English during the teaching will make the students successful to understand the material given? Isn’t it important to observe the context of our class before we teach? For example, if the class has difficulty in listening English, don’t we need to speak Indonesian too? When I was in Senior High School, I found it easier to get the material because after speaking English, my teacher always translated their English to Indonesian.
February, 28th, 2008 – 11.03 pm
In previous semester, I learned many methods of teaching. Honestly, sometimes I felt bored. It indeed was not interesting to learn methods without practicing them. In my first two classes, I learned how to teach. Teaching is not easy. However, in my opinion, educating is something harder and more important than just teaching. I myself think that my teaching is not great yet. It means that I still need to practice a lot in order to be an educator.
In our second meeting (when we were asked to each our partner), I think that I was not really prepared. I only prepared the material, not the lesson plan. I found difficulties when I had to teach my partner. Fortunately, she could understand my material. My material was for second semester student of college. Probably my partner could understand my material because she is in the same semester as I am. I doubt that the second semester students could understand me if I taught like last week. In conclusion, I learned that it was important to prepare not only the material to teach, but also the lesson plan.
Every time I teach English, (not only to my partner last week but to anyone), I am always skeptical that my student cannot understand my material, especially if I always speak English during my teaching. I have this doubt because I see that many students (especially Elementary School, Junior High School, and Senior High School Students) in Indonesia do not speak English or are not close to English. Contrary to this situation, PBI teaches me to speak English every time I teach. Why is PBI so sure that speaking English during the teaching will make the students successful to understand the material given? Isn’t it important to observe the context of our class before we teach? For example, if the class has difficulty in listening English, don’t we need to speak Indonesian too? When I was in Senior High School, I found it easier to get the material because after speaking English, my teacher always translated their English to Indonesian.
February, 28th, 2008 – 11.03 pm
Sabtu, 14 Agustus 2010
PINTAR SEJARAH LEWAT ‘JALAN PINTAS’ PENUH TAWA
Judul Buku : Kartun Riwayat Peradaban Jilid 1
Judul Asli : The Cartoon History of The Universe Volume 1-7
Penulis : Larry Gonick
Penerbit : Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia
Tebal : VIII + 362 halaman
Cetakan Pertama : September 2006
Pernah menyangka nenek moyang dari nenek moyang manusia itu ikan? Sempat membayangkan bagaimana Eugene Dubois yang menemukan fosil Pithecanthropus erectus itu ‘ngambek’? Bagaimana dengan fakta bahwa manusia zaman pra sejarah tidak tahu kalau berhubungan seksual bisa menghasilkan anak? Kalau yang ini: tujuh ribu tahun lalu orang Sumeria membangun rumah lumpur yang rubuh setiap kali hujan turun? Pernah memikirkan kemungkinan bahwa Ishak dikurbankan Abraham bukan karena perintah Tuhan, tapi karena dia bandel? Pernah dengar tentang sebuah negri yang selalu diserang bangsa lain tapi saling serang sendiri saat tidak diserang? Kalau belum, maka komik berjudul ‘Kartun Riwayat Peradaban Jilid 1’ yang disusun Larry Gonick ini bolehlah Anda baca.
Dalam komik ini, Gonick mula-mula mengajak pembacanya naik mesin waktu ke awal terbentuknya semesta. Dari sana, pembaca kemudian pelan-pelan diajak Gonick maju menyusuri terbentuknya bumi. Pada awal terbentuknya, bumi hanya dihuni makhluk-makhluk bersel satu. Gonick menggambarkan makhluk-makhluk bersel satu dengan hiperbolis. Makhluk-makhluk bersel satu digambarkan memiliki pikiran dan emosi sehingga dapat (tentu saja) berpikir, marah-marah, menangis, tertawa, dan bernafsu. Hal ini membuat para makhluk itu terlihat kocak.
Makhluk bersel satu ini kemudian berkumpul menjadi makhluk bersel banyak: ada yang jadi hewan, ada pula yang jadi tumbuhan. Semua hewan awalnya hanya tinggal di air sampai suatu waktu ada hewan yang ‘nekad’ ke darat dan mencoba hidup. Ikan, salah satunya (sebelumnya didahului serangga). Ikan ini kemudian berevolusi menjadi dinosaurus dan mamalia kecil. Dinosaurus kemudian punah. Pada akhirnya, hanya mamalia kecil yang berhasil bertahan hidup setelah melalui seleksi alam.
Kisah terbentuknya semesta hingga kepunahan dinosaurus itu disusun dalam Bab 1 yang berjudul ‘Evolusi Segalanya’. Hal yang menarik dari bab ini adalah cara Gonick mencitrakan hewan-hewan dalam komiknya. Jangan bayangkan hewan-hewan itu digambar seperti hewan-hewan di buku-buku sejarah atau biologi! Gonick menggambar hewan-hewan itu dengan menggemaskan dan lucu (seperti tokoh-tokoh hewan dalam film ‘Madagaskar’).
Dalam bab selanjutnya, yakni ‘ Tongkat dan Batu’, Gonick menceritakan sejarah evolusi kera (yang adalah salah satu jenis mamalia yang berhasil lolos seleksi alam itu) menjadi manusia purba. Pernah menonton serial kartun ‘The Flinstones’? Nah, sekonyol karakter-karakter dalam serial itulah manusia purba dicitrakan dalam komik ini. Bedanya dengan ‘The Flinstones’ yang menceritakan fiksi, komik ini menceritakan sejarah. Homo erectus adalah jenis yang nantinya berevolusi jadi manusia modern. Sebelum jadi manusia modern, manusia purba melalui kehidupan nomaden, berburu dan meramu, hingga bercocok tanam. Pada masa bercocok tanam inilah manusia purba mulai menjinakkan hewan, menciptakan bahasa, nilai, dan karya seni.
Setelah masa itu, para manusia purba mulai membentuk masyarakat purba. Mereka hidup dalam klan-klan. Pada masa inilah posisi perempuan mulai terancam. Para manusia awalnya tak tahu bahwa ada hubungan antara hubungan seksual dan reproduksi. Sialnya, para laki-laki duluan tahu karena mereka memperhatikan domba-domba yang mereka gembalakan kawin dan beranak. Sebelum mengetahuinya, lelaki tidak mempunyai rasa memiliki anak yang dilahirkan perempuan, pun perempuannya. Tapi karena pengetahuan itu, laki-laki kemudian merasa memiliki perempuan yang melakukan hubungan seksual dengan mereka dan anak si perempuan. Perempuan yang dianggap sebagai milik laki-laki, karenanya, harus tunduk pada laki-laki.
Selanjutnya, dalam Bab 3 yang berjudul ‘Dunia Sungai’, pembaca diajak Gonick jalan-jalan ke Mesir. Mulanya, bab ini menceritakan soal kebangkitan, kehidupan, sampai kejatuhan Sumeria. (Rumah lumpur yang rubuh tiap hujan turun itu bisa pembaca lihat di bab ini). Bab ini juga bercerita soal peradaban Mesir: adat pemakaman para bangsawan dan raja, serta sejarah Mesir mulai dari kepemimpinan Raja Zoser sampai kepemimpinan seorang firaun yang menjuluki dirinya ‘Ramses yang Hebat’.
Bab 4 yang berjudul ‘Perjanjian Lama’, jelas menceritakan soal Bangsa Israel: mulai dari eksodus mereka dari Mesir hingga masa menetap mereka di Kanaan. Meski berjudul ‘Perjanjian Lama’, jangan kira Gonick hanya memvisualisasikan cerita dari Alkitab. Dalam menyusun bab ini, Gonick juga menggunakan sumber-sumber lain. Karena itulah ada banyak kejutan di dalamnya (terutama bagi para pembaca yang selama ini akrab dengan kisah-kisah Alkitab Perjanjian Lama). Pasalnya, nabi-nabi yang punya reputasi baik di Alkitab dikisahkan dan dicitrakan tidak ‘selurus biasa’nya.
Bab ini diawali dengan cerita tentang sebuah negri di antara Mesir dan Sungai Eufrat yang selalu diserang berbagai bangsa dan saling serang sendiri saat tidak diserang. Dalam bagian ini muncul cerita Nabi Yusuf. Selanjutnya, komik mengisahkan tentang eksodus pertama Bangsa Israel yang keluar dari Mesir menuju Kanaan, dipimpin oleh Musa. Di bagian inilah mulai muncul kejutan. Manna (roti) yang dalam Alkitab `turun dari langit ternyata ternyata merupakan benda putih yang dikeluarkan dari pencernaan (boleh dibaca: kotoran) serangga padang pasir. Di antara Bangsa Israel yang melarikan diri dari Mesir itu, tak semuanya tak suka tinggal di Mesir. Mereka yang ingin kembali ke Mesir, balik kanan, melakukan eksodus kedua setelah Musa mangkat.
Sementara itu, Bangsa Israel yang telah sampai di Kanaan memulai kisahnya. Pada mulanya mereka tak mempunyai raja. Pemimpin mereka disebut hakim -yang tentu saja memiliki fungsi yang berbeda dengan raja-. Pada saat Israel diduduki Bangsa Filistin, (Nabi) Samuel menjadi hakim. Pada masa ‘kepemimpinannya’, Bangsa Israel menginginkan raja. Dengan berat hati –karena menurut Samuel raja hanya akan menjadikan rakyatnya budak-,Samuel mengurapi Saul menjadi jadi raja. Setelahnya, Israel dipimpin Daud yang bukan keturunan Raja Saul, lalu Salomo putra Daud.
Soal Salomo ini, Gonick kembali memberi kejutan. Terbalik dengan Salomo versi Alkitab yang terkenal dengan kebijaksanaannya, Salomo versi Kartun Riwayat Peradaban ‘terkenal’ dengan kezalimannya. Cerita paling populer soal Salomo (karena ia dibacakan setiap tahun di Gereja) adalah soal dua orang ibu yang bertengkar memperebutkan seorang bayi. Semua mengaku merupakan ibu kandung si bayi. Untuk memecahkan perebutan itu, Salomo mengusulkan membelah bayi menjadi dua dengan pedang. Salah satu dari kedua ibu itu menangis. Ia memberikan bayi kepada ibu satunya. Masalah terpecahkan. Ibu asli adalah ibu yang tak rela anaknya dibelah dengan pedang. Soal cerita poluper ini Gereja menafsirkan Salomo sebagai seorang raja bijaksana yang bisa menyelesaikan masalah. Tapi Gonick, dengan macam-macam referensinya, justru menunjukkan bahwa itu adalah bentuk kezaliman Salomo. Bayi, melambangkan Israel. Ibu palsu, melambangkan Salomo. Ibu asli, melambangkan Adonia, keturunan asli Raja Saul (ingat: Salomo bukan keturunan Saul). Artinya, jika ibu asli (Adonia) tidak ingin menyerahkan bayi (Israel) kepada ibu palsu (Salomo), maka bayi (Israel) akan di(ter)belah oleh perang saudara. Karena Adonia tak menginginkan perang saudara, maka kekuasaan ia serahkan kepada Salomo. Setelah Salomo, pada masa pemerintahan Rehabeam, Israel terpecah menjadi Israel dan Yehuda. Bab 4 berakhir di bagian Yehuda yang ditaklukan oleh Babylonia.
Bab 5 dengan judul ‘Otak dan Perunggu’ berkisah tentang peradaban Yunani: legenda, kebiasaan, dan pemikiran masyarakatnya. Orang-orang Yunani berasal dari utara sebelum mengungsi dan menjajah Bangsa Pelasgia di sekitar Laut Aegea. Orang-orang Yunani yang akhirnya menetap di sekitar Aegea kemudian diserang Bangsa Doria sampai peradabannya musnah. Meski peradaban musnah, teknologi mereka berkembang baik: mereka menciptakan banyak senjata model baru. Peradaban mereka pulih kembali saat orang-orang Yunani merantau ke negri-negri lain dan menerapkan di Yunani apa yang mereka lihat di tempat rantau. Di Fenisia, mereka belajar tulisan. Di Mesir, mereka belajar drama dan upacara, di koloninya, Ionia, mereka belajar filsafat.
Meski pada Bab 5 Gonick berkisah tentang Yunani, pada Bab 6 yang berjudul ‘Siapakah Orang-orang Athena?’ Gonick tidak berkisah tentang Athena. Masih ada hubungannya dengan Athena, bab ini bercerita tentang orang Persia yang dibuat penasaran oleh orang Athena. Kenapa? Karena Athena bersama dengan daerah pemberontak Persia, Miletos, berhasil membumihanguskan ibu kota Persia. Tentu ini reputasi buruk bagi Persia yang hebat –yang sanggup menaklukan Kerajaan Media, Lydia, dan Babylonia-. Karena hal ini, Persia kemudian menyerbu Yunani. Siapa yang menang dalam pertempuran antara Persia dan Yunani? Untuk tahu jawabnya, bacalah komik ini.
Pada bab terakhir, ‘Segalanya Tentang Athena’, barulah Gonick menceritakan Athena dan ‘demokrasi’nya (demokrasi yang tidak menganggap perempuan dan budak). Di Athena, pekerjaan dilakukan perempuan dan budak sehingga para laki-laki punya banyak waktu untuk berpolitik, berfilsafat, dan menghasilkan karya seni. Pada masa inilah, si eksentrik Sokrates, filsuf Yunani Klasik, muncul dan bikin heran warga Athena. Bikin heran karena apa? Temukanlah jawabannya di komik ini dan bersiaplah tertawa.
Apa pendapat Anda soal komik yang menceritakan 13 miliar tahun perjalanan waktu dalam 350 halaman saja ini? Jika belum membacanya, bisa jadi Anda ragu soal seberapa komprehensif komik ini mampu menyajikan data-data. Tapi mengingat ratusan buku referensi yang digunakan Gonick, belum lagi padat dan kronologisnya data-data sejarah yang disajikan, saya sarankan Anda tarik kembali keraguan Anda. Setelah membaca komik ini, alih-alih meragu, saya memilih berdecak kagum kepada cara Gonick menyajikan data sejarah yang komprehensif itu ke dalam narasi yang menghibur.
Ya, unsur kronologis, komikal, dan humoris membuat komik ini jadi narasi yang menghibur. Gonick mempertahankan unsur kronologis dengan menempatkan informasi sejarah bernada datar di bagian teratas kotak-kotak gambar. Informasi sejarah disusun berurutan dari kotak gambar satu ke kotak gambar lain. Gonick kemudian mengimprovisasi informasi sejarah tersebut dengan mengkartunkan para pelaku sejarahnya dan menyisipkan humor-humor cerdas dalam dialog mereka. Unsur komikal, terbaca dari mimik wajah dan postur para pelaku sejarah yang dikartunkan. Meski gambar dan dialog yang dibuat Gonick imajinatif, Gonick tak melupakan logika, seting, dan kostum sehingga imajinasi yang dicipta Gonick tetap relevan dengan informasi sejarah yang disusunnya.
Unsur komikal dan humoris itu di satu sisi memanjakan saya, tapi di sisi lain ia membuat saya lalai dengan kronologis cerita. Karena terlalu asik menertawakan potongan-potongan kartun dan humor yang lucu, saya malah lupa merangkai potongan kartun itu menjadi satu kesatuan cerita. Ini membuat saya harus membaca berulang kali untuk mendapatkan pemetaan cerita yang utuh.
Seperti buku, komik ini diawali dengan Kata Pengantar juga. Tapi jangan bayangkan Gonick yang kreatif itu memberi Kata Pengantar berupa paragraf yang berisi rentetan kata-kata. Dalam komik ini, Kata Pengantar-nya pun disajikan lewat kartun dan humor. Kata Pengantar tak hanya muncul di awal, tapi juga di tiap bab dan sub-bab. Gonick selalu menampakkan diri di tiap Kata Pengantar untuk (tentu saja) memberi pengantar sehingga pembaca dapat mengikuti alur komik dengan baik. Bagaimana caranya Gonick menampakkan diri? Tentu saja dengan mengkartunkan dirinya sendiri ke dalam komik. Cara Gonick menyajikan Referensi tak jauh beda dengan caranya menyajikan Kata Pengantar: dengan kartun dan humor yang buat saya pribadi sayang untuk dilewatkan.
Dalam komik ini, secara umum, Gonick menggunakan sudut pandang penguasa -sehingga kita bisa melihat banyak sekali perang-. Ini terlihat dari tokoh-tokoh utama yang dipilih Gonick sejak muncul kerajaan. Tokoh utama dalam komik adalah para raja dan bukan rakyat, apalagi budak. Ini bisa dimengerti mengingat feodalisme pada zaman kerajaan memang menempatkan raja di atas segalanya (kecuali Dewa) dan budak di bawah segalanya. Oleh karena itulah, kisah-kisah yang diabadikan dalam tulisan pada zaman kerajaan hanyalah kisah-kisah para rajanya. Para budak kerap dianggap tak ada. Salah satu bukti dari tak dianggapnya budak pun ada dalam komik ini, yakni dilupakannya 900 budak Sparta yang ikut mati bersama 300 prajurit Sparta dalam penyerbuan Persia ke Yunani sehingga para ahli sejarah kerap menyebut peristiwa tersebut sebagai ‘Laga Terakhir 300’, bukan ‘Laga Terakhir 1200’.
Gonick tak hanya memasukkan data-data sejarah yang mempunyai bukti empiris dalam komiknya, tapi juga mitos macam Hercules atau fiksi macam Oedipus. Pertimbangan dari dimasukkannya mitos dan fiksi ini adalah tidak adanya data sejarah yang dapat digunakan untuk melengkapi rantai sejarah yang putus.
Komik ini adalah referensi tambahan yang baik untuk siswa SMP/SMA. Berbeda dengan buku sejarah cetak/pegangan siswa yang seringkali malah memberi informasi sejarah sepotong-sepotong, komik ini menyajikan pemetaan sejarah peradaban yang lengkap dan rapi. Kalau tak ingat bahwa siswa SMP/SMA harus belajar dari buku cetak/pegangan yang materinya ditentukan kurikulum, saya rekomendasikan komik ini sebagai pegangan wajib mereka di sekolah.
Membaca komik ini seperti menyusuri ‘jalan pintas’ menuju penguasaan sejarah peradaban dengan cara menyenangkan: tertawa. Sambil menertawakan kartun dan humor imajinatif Gonick, Anda bisa tahu apa yang terjadi selama 13 miliar tahun sejak semesta terbentuk. Buat saya, ‘jalan pintas’ dan tawa adalah alasan yang lebih dari cukup untuk menjajal komik sejarah yang disusun mantan mahasiswa Harvard Jurusan Matematika ini.
Rabu, 11 Agustus 2010
Anarchistic Society
Sabina Thipani
Society is a smaller part of a state where individuals live together. Society deals with many aspects such as industry, technology, ecology, economy, and cultural-consciousness of its members. State, as a bigger organization from society is believed by most people as an instrument which functions to bring prosperity for each individual. In fact, state is used as an instrument of oppression; repression from the more superior countries to the more inferior, also instrument to rule industry and economy for certain class. This domination of state creates problems in each aspect of society.
Anarchism is an ideology which believes that state must be abolished. Based on this, anarchism can be a solution for social problems which are caused by the domination of state. This paper will explain more about the detail of problems in society, how anarchism can be the solution of them, and how anarchism can be implemented in society.
Terms of Anarchism
What first come to your mind when you hear the word “anarchism”? Some people may associate this term to violence. Whereas, anarchism is an ideology, a political belief, which can be applied just like other ideologies such as socialism, communism, democracy, or liberalism. The most fundamental difference of anarchism from those ideologies is that:
anarchism does not believe that state can be an instrument to assure prosperity for each individual in certain society. Thus, Joseph Labadie, in “Anarchism: What It Is and What It Is Not” says that state must be abolished (par.3). This abolishment of state is also conveyed by Graham Purchase in “Anarcho-Syndicalism, Technology and Ecology”. He writes “in an anarchist society, the absence of centralized state authority will permit a radically new integration of nature, labour, and culture” (par.1).
Labadie states that anarchism can be considered as free association with neither oppressor nor the oppressed (pars. 4-8). In other word, anarchism believes in equal right for each individual. Coordination and operation are run without bureaucracy and hierarchy. Purchase writes that anarchism is depended on self governing of each individual in society (pars.8-10). One of the requirements of anarchism is the integration of environment (Purchase, pars. 12-18).
Problems in Society and Anarchism as the Solution
Before industry revolution, welfare of the individuals in society becomes the responsibility of society. But since industry revolution takes place, the nation has taken control the social welfare responsibility (“Social Welfare”).
Refer to Chaz Bufe in “A Future Worth Living”, we can see that the welfare which just be given from the state to its people does not happen. He states: We live in a world which is deeply unsatisfying for most people, a world in which many of our most basic need – for love, peace, freedom, security, and meaning in life - are not being met. Most of us face constant worry about economic survival, loneliness and isolation, or fear of it,and a constant feeling that there's never enough of anything good to go around, be it love, sex or money (par. 7).
This insecurity of individual prosperity is taken root from industrial, economical, technological, ecological, and cultural problems in society. Those fundamental aspects is taken control by the state.
Most of the states in this world nowadays are run with capitalistic system. This capitalistic system is started to be implemented in England since industry revolution. Industrial revolution was the time when agrarian society was transformed into modern industrial society. Industrial revolution consists of the changes in fundamental technology, economic, social and cultural aspects (“Industrial Revolution”). These changes do not always bring advantage for human being. Industry based on Purchase article has created environmental destruction and dehumanized workers (par. 4).
There are some aspects affected by industry revolution. But, economy is the aspect which has the “strongest relation” with industry. Purchase states that industry “is only made slightly destructive by the narrow, short-term interests of capital and state” (par. 4). Capitalistic economy system which is used since industry revolution seems to be a secondary aspect compared to industry. But from Purchase statement, there is an implicit impression that capitalism changes to be the primary motive with industry as the instrument. Apart from this changed role, industry and capitalism have strong relation. Since capitalism is a system which is based on ownership of capital, and capital is something fundamental in economy system, we can conclude that industry thus has strong relation with economy.
Marxism, a famous ideology which critics industry and capitalism the most comprehensively, argue that “in capitalist society, an economic minority (the bourgeoisie) dominates and exploit the working class (preoletariat) majority. Marx attempted to argue that capitalism was exploitative, specifically the way in which unpaid labour (surplus value) is extracted from the working of earlier political economists on value. He argued that while the production process is socialized, ownership remains in the hands of the bourgeoisie. This forms the fundamental contradiction of capitalist society. Without the elimination of the fetter of the private ownership of the means of production, human society is unable to achieve further development” (“Marxism”). This domination of bourgeoisie, according to Marxism, brings economy inequality. This problem is seen in Bufe’s article. He states there has been economy inequality today. It has been difficult to get job. According to him, this inequality causes alienation of human being because individuals must fulfill their need (pars. 10-12). Inequality which causes alienation is a proof of degradation of humanity done by industry which is run by capital. Human is no longer the center of all. Human becomes object of industry and economy interest.
According to Purchase, to solve industrial problem, there should be worker control in every factory so that workers and bosses has the same position and equality. He states that there should be egalitarian working environment between bosses and employees, also egalitarian among workers. Workers should get better wage and humanity experiences in working. This condition actually can increase production and minimize sabotage (par. 7).
Purchase provides another radical solution for the problem emerged from industrial system. He suggests efficiency and self sufficiency to be implemented in society. Purchase writes every society should have independency in producing one’s own needs. This can avoid exploitation of workers (par. 8).
But have you ever imagined you yourself has to raft your own phone cellular or sew clothes you wear? How about the plates you use to eat? Should you handle them by yourself? Will you have enough time, energy, and material for that? The obstacles of this industrial solution are: not every community has natural resources, no one wants to spend their whole life in factory even though we need goods, and not every body/community has craft to do every single thing (Purchase, pars. 9-10).
To overcome this obstacle, Purchase states that every body should spend a few hours per week to provide goods. No boss should take profit while they are not working like workers do. The production should not be oriented to consumerism but to human needs (pars. 9-10).
However, they are not only industrial and economical problems which bring dehumanization. Technology, as an aspect which become the cause of industry revolution and also the aspect which is affected by industry revolution in the same time, is also one of the other problems which cause humanity degradation in society. Purchase states “…children and adults alike spend hours on end surrounded by deafening noise and blinding lights in video arcades…” (par. 5). According to him there has been industrial robotification of human nature. But to get back to primitivism anarchic era in post industrial where there is no any technology, is utopia. Because primitivism is utopia, there should be mixture of Neolithic primitivism era with technology (Purchase, par. 5).
It has been mentioned that capitalism which uses industry vehicle not only causes dehumanization but also has created natural destruction. But either because capitalists are stupid enough to understand that or because they have no embarrassment, nature balance issue has been used as commodity by capitalism to survive. Purchase states that naturalistic capitalistic product will be used to fulfill individual consumerism. Accumulation of individual consumerism actually costs more expensive than what all people in this world really need (pars. 12-18).Those who have neither consciousness nor attention will consume those kinds of products with -probably- a good aim to save the earth. But the paradox of industrial system toward nature and the expensive amount which has to be turned is worse than the end of the word because of natural damage. Excessive consumption of individual has to be fought with communal consumption. On his article Purchase show how excessive individual consumption is less effective and efficient to overcome natural damage compared to communal use of public transportation. Buying one expensive bio energy car can be more expensive than thousands people’ costs on bus in a day. Thus using public transportation is one of the ways to solve ecological problem (pars.12-18).
We have seen the relation of industry to economy, industry and technology, industrial economy and its relation to ecology, and of course the impact of all those relation to human being in society. There is one more aspect needs to be concerned in society.
The most abstract and most difficult aspect need to be changed in society is the cultural aspect. Its abstract causes it difficult to be analyzed as how other aspects can be analyzed. However anarchism indeed should focus not only to economical and political problems, but also focus on cultural problems because in the end culture can be a very strong basis for individuals to do such actions.
The cultural problems need to be concerned appear on individual psychology such as emotional and individual sexuality (Bufe, pars. 13-52). According to Bufe, the most impactful contexts which create cultural consciousness are religion, family, education, and mass media.
Both family and religion actually has the same character. They are patriarchal. This patriarchal character causes repression to –especially- woman and also to sexuality of the individuals in society. There is subjection and degradation of women in patriarchal religion. Patriarchal religion abandons human intellectuality and put religion above all including humanity (Bufe, par. 13-52).
Object of patriarchy in family is not as wide as patriarchy in religion. However, the repression done to an individual causes not less big effect than the effect caused by patriarchy in religion. This sexual repression will bring an individual to some effects like what is written by Bufe: sexual repression in patriarchal family causes many problems to an individual. An individual would be fear to rebel, become obedient and have the fear of sexuality. It
constructs servility mental and abandonment of self. An individual will identify his/her self with external entities. An individual will only have blunt reason and intelligence, also repressive-authoritarian behavior (pars. 13-52).
Education system which is built by authoritative method took part on that (repression, even sexual repression). This system also has patriarchal impact. Bufe states that in most education systems, the role between student and teacher is very stiff. Student has no big room to question something. Students in schools are built to be an authoritarian because they are taught by authority (par. 50). Thus, authoritative education system also takes part on constructing patriarchy. In the end, an individual in society has no place at all to be him/her self. Society always represses individuals to build “harmony”. If not, an individual has to be ready for the consequences such as physically or psychologically isolation from society.
Education, according to Bufe, never teaches freedom to students. Even though there is a quick advancement in science or other disciplines, individual has never been taught about values. Education orientation is practical: how individual can get money and make profit. Thus, grade becomes something important rather than the knowledge itself (par. 51).
Ironically, violence seems to be the only aggressive expression that can be done unconsciously. Television shows excessive violence in practical and conceptual way. “… the media reinforces authoritarian structures in a more subtle way: it routinely presents such structures as not only being normal, but as being _inevitable_. Even at the height of the Cold War, when power-grubbing sociopaths in Washington and Moscow stockpiled enough nuclear weapons to turn the Earth into a burned out cinder - and came within an eyelash of doing so in 1962 - one never found even the faintest suggestion that there was any way to organize social life other than through coercive, hierarchical structures controlled by power-mad politicians holding the power of life and death over the rest of us. In part because of the media, most people won't even consider the possibility that there are alternatives to domination, submission, hierarchy, and coercion” (Bufe, par. 52).
Implementing Anarchism in Society
I have explained some important aspects in society including its problem and the solution given by anarchism. In this next sub-chapter, I am going to explain about the steps need to be done by anarchist movement to implement anarchism in society.
A movement would not be massively successful without organization. This includes anarchist movement. Some people misunderstand anarchism by relating anarchism with unorganized movement whereas organization is a very important instrument to reach anarchistic society.
According to Bufe, anarchism organization has to have voluntary cooperation/noncoerciveness character. The organization has to be non hierarchial and decentralized. The leadership is spontaneous effect in a horizontal relation and concerns to psychological problem such emotional and sexual issues (pars. 53-87).
The last aspect mentioned is very important. Psychological aspect is the aspect which often be forgotten by many movements. We have seen how big the effects emerged from psychological repression from patriarchy system is. Thus, this abstract aspect really needs to be considered in a movement. According to Bufe, anarchism movement should consider individual sexual longing and sexual repression (pars. 53-87).
The approach of anarchism movement itself should be both theoretical and experimental. Self sustaining is another aspect should be considered. Anarchism movement should provide pleasure rather than pain to all members, has positive orientation, has utilitarian spirit, and means determine ends (Bufe, pars. 53-87).
It is not enough to form an organization without having model. There must be models attractive enough to be adopted by any other anarchism movement (Bufe, pars. 53-87). In the recent sub-chapter, we have seen how big the effect of education for the society is. Thus, anarchism movement must pay attention to this aspect. To convey anarchism ideas, good education is needed to be the media. Purchase says that anarchism needs massive persuading fellow workers to organize themselves and resist state and corporate coercive apparatus (pars. 19-26).
Since fundamental aspects such as industry and economy are held by nation, anarchism has duty to bring them back to people. We have seen how those two aspects collaborated with ecology and technology and bring dehumanization. Thus those important aspects should be controlled by people. Purchase writes power of economy and industry power must be returned to people. Anarchists build nonprofit, community-based forms of individual skills exchange such as barter-based networks. Anarchists also represent co-operative efforts which strengthen the autonomy of both individuals and communities (pars. 19-26). Not only industry and economy, object of both, technology and ecology should be controlled by people also. Purchase says that anarchism movement exploits technology and ecology for the people (pars. 12-18).
The most important and tactical thing need to be remembered during the movement is the stability. There must be no chaotic or coercion actions done by anarchism movement (Purchase, pars. 19-26).
Conclusion
Since states have never functioned, we need anarchism to be implemented in our society. Aspects in society such as industry, economy, technology, and culture do not bring mentally and materially welfare to the people. Anarchism as an ideology has given solutions for the problem appeared in society. Implementing anarchism in society is not a utopia, but it needs a hard work. Anarchistic organization is an important instrument to attain anarchistic society.
Work Cited
Bufe, Chaz. “A Future Worth Living.” Anarchist Library. 1998. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/future.html>.
“Industrial Revolution”. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Labadie, Joseph. ”Anarchism: What It Is and What It Is Not.” Anarchist Library. 1979. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/labadie.htm>.
“Marxism”. Wikipedia.
Purchase, Graham. “Anarcho-Syndicalism, Technology and Ecology.” Anarchist Library. 1995. 7 February 2010 < from http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/aste.html>.
“Social Welfare.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Strider, Lorne. “Planet of Room.” Anarchist Library. 2000. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/planet_of_rooms.html>.
Society is a smaller part of a state where individuals live together. Society deals with many aspects such as industry, technology, ecology, economy, and cultural-consciousness of its members. State, as a bigger organization from society is believed by most people as an instrument which functions to bring prosperity for each individual. In fact, state is used as an instrument of oppression; repression from the more superior countries to the more inferior, also instrument to rule industry and economy for certain class. This domination of state creates problems in each aspect of society.
Anarchism is an ideology which believes that state must be abolished. Based on this, anarchism can be a solution for social problems which are caused by the domination of state. This paper will explain more about the detail of problems in society, how anarchism can be the solution of them, and how anarchism can be implemented in society.
Terms of Anarchism
What first come to your mind when you hear the word “anarchism”? Some people may associate this term to violence. Whereas, anarchism is an ideology, a political belief, which can be applied just like other ideologies such as socialism, communism, democracy, or liberalism. The most fundamental difference of anarchism from those ideologies is that:
anarchism does not believe that state can be an instrument to assure prosperity for each individual in certain society. Thus, Joseph Labadie, in “Anarchism: What It Is and What It Is Not” says that state must be abolished (par.3). This abolishment of state is also conveyed by Graham Purchase in “Anarcho-Syndicalism, Technology and Ecology”. He writes “in an anarchist society, the absence of centralized state authority will permit a radically new integration of nature, labour, and culture” (par.1).
Labadie states that anarchism can be considered as free association with neither oppressor nor the oppressed (pars. 4-8). In other word, anarchism believes in equal right for each individual. Coordination and operation are run without bureaucracy and hierarchy. Purchase writes that anarchism is depended on self governing of each individual in society (pars.8-10). One of the requirements of anarchism is the integration of environment (Purchase, pars. 12-18).
Problems in Society and Anarchism as the Solution
Before industry revolution, welfare of the individuals in society becomes the responsibility of society. But since industry revolution takes place, the nation has taken control the social welfare responsibility (“Social Welfare”).
Refer to Chaz Bufe in “A Future Worth Living”, we can see that the welfare which just be given from the state to its people does not happen. He states: We live in a world which is deeply unsatisfying for most people, a world in which many of our most basic need – for love, peace, freedom, security, and meaning in life - are not being met. Most of us face constant worry about economic survival, loneliness and isolation, or fear of it,and a constant feeling that there's never enough of anything good to go around, be it love, sex or money (par. 7).
This insecurity of individual prosperity is taken root from industrial, economical, technological, ecological, and cultural problems in society. Those fundamental aspects is taken control by the state.
Most of the states in this world nowadays are run with capitalistic system. This capitalistic system is started to be implemented in England since industry revolution. Industrial revolution was the time when agrarian society was transformed into modern industrial society. Industrial revolution consists of the changes in fundamental technology, economic, social and cultural aspects (“Industrial Revolution”). These changes do not always bring advantage for human being. Industry based on Purchase article has created environmental destruction and dehumanized workers (par. 4).
There are some aspects affected by industry revolution. But, economy is the aspect which has the “strongest relation” with industry. Purchase states that industry “is only made slightly destructive by the narrow, short-term interests of capital and state” (par. 4). Capitalistic economy system which is used since industry revolution seems to be a secondary aspect compared to industry. But from Purchase statement, there is an implicit impression that capitalism changes to be the primary motive with industry as the instrument. Apart from this changed role, industry and capitalism have strong relation. Since capitalism is a system which is based on ownership of capital, and capital is something fundamental in economy system, we can conclude that industry thus has strong relation with economy.
Marxism, a famous ideology which critics industry and capitalism the most comprehensively, argue that “in capitalist society, an economic minority (the bourgeoisie) dominates and exploit the working class (preoletariat) majority. Marx attempted to argue that capitalism was exploitative, specifically the way in which unpaid labour (surplus value) is extracted from the working of earlier political economists on value. He argued that while the production process is socialized, ownership remains in the hands of the bourgeoisie. This forms the fundamental contradiction of capitalist society. Without the elimination of the fetter of the private ownership of the means of production, human society is unable to achieve further development” (“Marxism”). This domination of bourgeoisie, according to Marxism, brings economy inequality. This problem is seen in Bufe’s article. He states there has been economy inequality today. It has been difficult to get job. According to him, this inequality causes alienation of human being because individuals must fulfill their need (pars. 10-12). Inequality which causes alienation is a proof of degradation of humanity done by industry which is run by capital. Human is no longer the center of all. Human becomes object of industry and economy interest.
According to Purchase, to solve industrial problem, there should be worker control in every factory so that workers and bosses has the same position and equality. He states that there should be egalitarian working environment between bosses and employees, also egalitarian among workers. Workers should get better wage and humanity experiences in working. This condition actually can increase production and minimize sabotage (par. 7).
Purchase provides another radical solution for the problem emerged from industrial system. He suggests efficiency and self sufficiency to be implemented in society. Purchase writes every society should have independency in producing one’s own needs. This can avoid exploitation of workers (par. 8).
But have you ever imagined you yourself has to raft your own phone cellular or sew clothes you wear? How about the plates you use to eat? Should you handle them by yourself? Will you have enough time, energy, and material for that? The obstacles of this industrial solution are: not every community has natural resources, no one wants to spend their whole life in factory even though we need goods, and not every body/community has craft to do every single thing (Purchase, pars. 9-10).
To overcome this obstacle, Purchase states that every body should spend a few hours per week to provide goods. No boss should take profit while they are not working like workers do. The production should not be oriented to consumerism but to human needs (pars. 9-10).
However, they are not only industrial and economical problems which bring dehumanization. Technology, as an aspect which become the cause of industry revolution and also the aspect which is affected by industry revolution in the same time, is also one of the other problems which cause humanity degradation in society. Purchase states “…children and adults alike spend hours on end surrounded by deafening noise and blinding lights in video arcades…” (par. 5). According to him there has been industrial robotification of human nature. But to get back to primitivism anarchic era in post industrial where there is no any technology, is utopia. Because primitivism is utopia, there should be mixture of Neolithic primitivism era with technology (Purchase, par. 5).
It has been mentioned that capitalism which uses industry vehicle not only causes dehumanization but also has created natural destruction. But either because capitalists are stupid enough to understand that or because they have no embarrassment, nature balance issue has been used as commodity by capitalism to survive. Purchase states that naturalistic capitalistic product will be used to fulfill individual consumerism. Accumulation of individual consumerism actually costs more expensive than what all people in this world really need (pars. 12-18).Those who have neither consciousness nor attention will consume those kinds of products with -probably- a good aim to save the earth. But the paradox of industrial system toward nature and the expensive amount which has to be turned is worse than the end of the word because of natural damage. Excessive consumption of individual has to be fought with communal consumption. On his article Purchase show how excessive individual consumption is less effective and efficient to overcome natural damage compared to communal use of public transportation. Buying one expensive bio energy car can be more expensive than thousands people’ costs on bus in a day. Thus using public transportation is one of the ways to solve ecological problem (pars.12-18).
We have seen the relation of industry to economy, industry and technology, industrial economy and its relation to ecology, and of course the impact of all those relation to human being in society. There is one more aspect needs to be concerned in society.
The most abstract and most difficult aspect need to be changed in society is the cultural aspect. Its abstract causes it difficult to be analyzed as how other aspects can be analyzed. However anarchism indeed should focus not only to economical and political problems, but also focus on cultural problems because in the end culture can be a very strong basis for individuals to do such actions.
The cultural problems need to be concerned appear on individual psychology such as emotional and individual sexuality (Bufe, pars. 13-52). According to Bufe, the most impactful contexts which create cultural consciousness are religion, family, education, and mass media.
Both family and religion actually has the same character. They are patriarchal. This patriarchal character causes repression to –especially- woman and also to sexuality of the individuals in society. There is subjection and degradation of women in patriarchal religion. Patriarchal religion abandons human intellectuality and put religion above all including humanity (Bufe, par. 13-52).
Object of patriarchy in family is not as wide as patriarchy in religion. However, the repression done to an individual causes not less big effect than the effect caused by patriarchy in religion. This sexual repression will bring an individual to some effects like what is written by Bufe: sexual repression in patriarchal family causes many problems to an individual. An individual would be fear to rebel, become obedient and have the fear of sexuality. It
constructs servility mental and abandonment of self. An individual will identify his/her self with external entities. An individual will only have blunt reason and intelligence, also repressive-authoritarian behavior (pars. 13-52).
Education system which is built by authoritative method took part on that (repression, even sexual repression). This system also has patriarchal impact. Bufe states that in most education systems, the role between student and teacher is very stiff. Student has no big room to question something. Students in schools are built to be an authoritarian because they are taught by authority (par. 50). Thus, authoritative education system also takes part on constructing patriarchy. In the end, an individual in society has no place at all to be him/her self. Society always represses individuals to build “harmony”. If not, an individual has to be ready for the consequences such as physically or psychologically isolation from society.
Education, according to Bufe, never teaches freedom to students. Even though there is a quick advancement in science or other disciplines, individual has never been taught about values. Education orientation is practical: how individual can get money and make profit. Thus, grade becomes something important rather than the knowledge itself (par. 51).
Ironically, violence seems to be the only aggressive expression that can be done unconsciously. Television shows excessive violence in practical and conceptual way. “… the media reinforces authoritarian structures in a more subtle way: it routinely presents such structures as not only being normal, but as being _inevitable_. Even at the height of the Cold War, when power-grubbing sociopaths in Washington and Moscow stockpiled enough nuclear weapons to turn the Earth into a burned out cinder - and came within an eyelash of doing so in 1962 - one never found even the faintest suggestion that there was any way to organize social life other than through coercive, hierarchical structures controlled by power-mad politicians holding the power of life and death over the rest of us. In part because of the media, most people won't even consider the possibility that there are alternatives to domination, submission, hierarchy, and coercion” (Bufe, par. 52).
Implementing Anarchism in Society
I have explained some important aspects in society including its problem and the solution given by anarchism. In this next sub-chapter, I am going to explain about the steps need to be done by anarchist movement to implement anarchism in society.
A movement would not be massively successful without organization. This includes anarchist movement. Some people misunderstand anarchism by relating anarchism with unorganized movement whereas organization is a very important instrument to reach anarchistic society.
According to Bufe, anarchism organization has to have voluntary cooperation/noncoerciveness character. The organization has to be non hierarchial and decentralized. The leadership is spontaneous effect in a horizontal relation and concerns to psychological problem such emotional and sexual issues (pars. 53-87).
The last aspect mentioned is very important. Psychological aspect is the aspect which often be forgotten by many movements. We have seen how big the effects emerged from psychological repression from patriarchy system is. Thus, this abstract aspect really needs to be considered in a movement. According to Bufe, anarchism movement should consider individual sexual longing and sexual repression (pars. 53-87).
The approach of anarchism movement itself should be both theoretical and experimental. Self sustaining is another aspect should be considered. Anarchism movement should provide pleasure rather than pain to all members, has positive orientation, has utilitarian spirit, and means determine ends (Bufe, pars. 53-87).
It is not enough to form an organization without having model. There must be models attractive enough to be adopted by any other anarchism movement (Bufe, pars. 53-87). In the recent sub-chapter, we have seen how big the effect of education for the society is. Thus, anarchism movement must pay attention to this aspect. To convey anarchism ideas, good education is needed to be the media. Purchase says that anarchism needs massive persuading fellow workers to organize themselves and resist state and corporate coercive apparatus (pars. 19-26).
Since fundamental aspects such as industry and economy are held by nation, anarchism has duty to bring them back to people. We have seen how those two aspects collaborated with ecology and technology and bring dehumanization. Thus those important aspects should be controlled by people. Purchase writes power of economy and industry power must be returned to people. Anarchists build nonprofit, community-based forms of individual skills exchange such as barter-based networks. Anarchists also represent co-operative efforts which strengthen the autonomy of both individuals and communities (pars. 19-26). Not only industry and economy, object of both, technology and ecology should be controlled by people also. Purchase says that anarchism movement exploits technology and ecology for the people (pars. 12-18).
The most important and tactical thing need to be remembered during the movement is the stability. There must be no chaotic or coercion actions done by anarchism movement (Purchase, pars. 19-26).
Conclusion
Since states have never functioned, we need anarchism to be implemented in our society. Aspects in society such as industry, economy, technology, and culture do not bring mentally and materially welfare to the people. Anarchism as an ideology has given solutions for the problem appeared in society. Implementing anarchism in society is not a utopia, but it needs a hard work. Anarchistic organization is an important instrument to attain anarchistic society.
Work Cited
Bufe, Chaz. “A Future Worth Living.” Anarchist Library. 1998. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/future.html>.
“Industrial Revolution”. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Labadie, Joseph. ”Anarchism: What It Is and What It Is Not.” Anarchist Library. 1979. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/labadie.htm>.
“Marxism”. Wikipedia.
Purchase, Graham. “Anarcho-Syndicalism, Technology and Ecology.” Anarchist Library. 1995. 7 February 2010 < from http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/aste.html>.
“Social Welfare.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Strider, Lorne. “Planet of Room.” Anarchist Library. 2000. 7 February 2010 < http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/planet_of_rooms.html>.
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